A Children's Rhyme
by HecateA
Summary: Clary puts her child to bed, and her memories invade. Based on the rhyme that Cassandra Clare released on the Internet. Oneshot.


**For those of you who either don't follow Shadowhunter-news style blogs or just haven't been on one recently, there's this child's rhyme that's been released (Google it, it's an actual thing). So I saw it and had to write this, you know how it is. Or maybe not...**

**Disclaimer: Cassandra C owns the rhyme and the characters you recognise from MI as well as the Institute.**

* * *

**A Children's Rhyme**

_"Black for hunting through the night_  
_For death and sorrow, the color's white_  
_Gold for a bride in her wedding gown,_  
_And red to call enchantment down."_

— children's rhyme based on the colors they wear

* * *

Clary curled Astrid in her arms and bobbed the little baby up and down until the baby girl stopped crying.

"You're okay," Clary said. "And you're going to sleep now, right angel?" She kissed the baby on the forehead.

"Black for hunting through the night," she started, "For death and sorrow, the color's white, gold for a bride in her wedding gown, and red to call enchantment down."

The children's rhyme held a lot more truth than 'this little piggy went to the market'.

Jace was leaning on the wall next to the elevator as Clary came forwards.

"Ready for some hunting, angel?" He asked her, his hand wandering to the button in the wall and calling the elevator up. Clary smoothed down the black leather and fiddled with the straps holding all her weapons.

His hands cupped her nervous ones, stopping them from fussing around like they were safety belts.

"You're fine," he promised with a kiss on the cheek.

"Sorry. I've never worked a full night's guard before." She said nervously.

"Well then aren't you lucky you're with the undisputed expert." He told her as the elevator opened up. "Handsome women in gear first," he said holding the doors for her.

* * *

Clary grabbed her white cardigan at the collar and tried to tighten around herself as if it'd hug her and make her feel better, as if it'd work like the hug nobody would give since everyone was busy mourning Marise.

The sea of white nearly hurt Clary's eyes, particularly when they hovered over Magnus who'd –colour her shocked- had gone overboard. Isabelle in a white dress with lace sleeves and flowers laced through her black hair, making her look like Snow White also stood out (partially because of height, partially because of beauty, partially because nobody had ever seen much tears from her before). Alec trying to stand tall in a crisp white suit, Magnus right behind him ready to hug or catch his boyfriend when he'd finally crack after these days of holding it together.

Arms wrapped around Clary and she leaned back, recognizing the white long-sleeved button-down shirt hanging on the muscled arms. He kissed the top of her head, and she kissed his hand.

* * *

Isabelle smoothed the skirt of Clary's gown until her hands followed the hem to the ground. She got back up and took a few steps back, admiring Clary as if she were a priceless picture on a pricy museum wall.

"Wow," she said. Her long dress and corsage made her look like a bridesmaid, a part of a wedding that Clary was good-and-long used to, even after years of Shadowhunting traditions and events. "Good thing you did that cliché-mundane thing where the groom doesn't get to see your dress. Jace would have died of awe before the wedding."

Clary looked up at the mirror, which her eyes had been shy about meeting. From the neckline to her hips the dress was but hanging, shimmering gauze-like fabric- like twenty million gold glitter pieces. Clary tried to shake the idea of Magnus shedding out of her head. The skirt hung in folds circling her and flowing down to the ground and Clary felt like a total princess. Some more fabric attached to her elbows and back gave her what she could only describe as wings too. Her hair was free down her back, gold sprinkled in her hair.

"I'm not sure about 'died' but…"

"Okay, okay, he'd have been knocked out and he'd have hit his head on something and he'd now be quadriplegic." Isabelle said.

"No," Clary said bashfully.

"Clarissa Fairchild!" Isabelle scolded. "You are going to get married. This is the one day where everyone throws you compliments and under no circumstances are you allowed to reject them!"

* * *

Clary adjusted her hood before pushing the door. Alec was pinned to his bed by leather cords wrapping around his ankles and wrists, but his back was arching and his limbs were flailing as if he was possessed. Which, look at that, he was.

"This isn't working." Magnus said, looking down on Alec.

"You don't say." Jace replied.

"Shut up and get useful. Go get something else to hold him down."

"Like what?"

"Leather, rope, superglue, duct tape, I don't care- just make sure it's been doused in Holy water!" Magnus said. Alec let out a long un-Alec-like scream and he thrashed even more violently. "Be quick about it."

This was the first time Magnus was so worried during a demon possession of theirs although Isabelle had given everyone a good scare last month, but this was the first time Magnus handled a demon possession with Alec too.

On his way out Jace gave Clary a quick smile which she didn't buy because that was his _parabatai _in there, and he pushed her into the room to run out the door faster. Magnus spun around from Alec and the symbols he'd drawn on the sheets and the plants and whatever else he had installed.

His cat eyes scanned Clary impatiently. She'd found herself a red summer dress and a hoody splattered with paint. Socks had been stolen from Luke, but that was all the red she could find since –according to Magnus- 'red was a violent colour for not only the human eye but also the demon in general'.

"Not enough red," he decreed. "Get out of here."

"What? I do to have enough red!" She protested. Magnus' critical eye went down to her shoes. White flats.

"Oh, come on Magnus, what am I, Dorothy? I don't have no red shoes! Plus, don't I have bonus points since I'm a redhead? I wanted to check up on Alec. Isabelle, Jordan, Maia, Simon and I are going nuts down there."

Alec let out another demonic sounding shout, his body nearly raising itself off the bed.

"Well he's doing horribly," Magnus said. "Mostly because of your shoes. Out."

"But have you figured out what kind of-"

"I said out. Out, shoo, shoo, out, shoo fly don't bother me!" Magnus said, waving his hand. Clary stumbled back and eventually ended up on the other side of the threshold, and the door shut on her. It opened again for Magnus to say;

"And tell your boyfriend to stop checking his hair and get me my duct tape quicker!"

The door slammed again at Clary's nose.

* * *

Clary carefully got up, making every movement swifter than she did when she was out hunting. Killing a demon was heck of a lot easier than putting a baby to sleep, particularly this baby.

_Got to make a rune for that, _she thought.

She eased Astrid in her crib and sighed. Every fire alarm in New York City could blare right now; Astrid would not wake up lest she be moved.

As if to try and jinx it, Jace came in with a crying baby and a look of total cluelessness on his face.

"I'm telling you, everything that usually works doesn't anymore. This child is mutating." He said handing over Heaven who was wailing like there'd be no tomorrow.

"Aw man, I'm going to have to sing again." Clary sighed.


End file.
